I got 74% with a noticeable knowledge surplus about LTC and Medicare and Medicaid. Seriously. This didn’t surprise me at all.
84%, and there were a couple I didn’t read carefully enough. The life expectancy one, I have seen different numbers than given in the answer, so I got that one wrong.
I think most of us are about 300% above the average middle aged person, just from following this thread.
84% Tripped up on annuity and life insurance questions. Since I have owned neither, my knowledge in those areas is definitely lacking.
@rosered55, my dh has looked at the possibility of living into his late 90s and needing care. Given my family history, there’s likely a good chance that I’ll suffer from Alzheimer’s and not live as long as dh. If I have anything to say about it, I hope to make things easier for everyone, myself included, when the time comes.
The financial advisor that dh’s employer provides has estimated we’ll be okay as long as we don’t both live to be >100 and require costly care. The numbers he used did not include the value of our home or any tangible assets.
87%.
Hmmm it cut off my message, and no place to edit? Had added I would pat myself on the back, but have to admit there were a number of guesses.
Only reason I knew about medicaid and LTC was because of being in the medical field and also just going through this with my parents and inlaws. I passed but barely.
I am not sure anyone knows what LTC will cost in the future.
I think that the medical care costs and medication costs are very concerning. I feel rather hopeless in this. Totally out of my control. I don’t get why the costs of meds in Europe are so inexpensive. Anyone know what the British or French do for savings and retirement plans? And do they worry about retirement age and savings like us in the states?
50%. But I learned some good things.
Ok, so this kind of bothers me. If you cannot drive as you age, there seems to be a small time period that then you can also not walk to places. I am sure this very much depends on where you live and the weather, etc. Is this walking more common in retirement communities?
For instance, if you live in an area that you can walk to the grocery store or a restaurant, at what age do people stop walking there? Then just get others to get the groceries,etc. I would love to say that I would walk to the store at 90 but I do not see that looking around home in Colorado where people tend to take fitness seriously and I do not see this in France in a nice community where stores are very close. About 1 in 10 people are my age or older that are roaming around walking or taking the public transport to do things in France. About 4 in 10 people are my age or older at home that are roaming around driving. We do not live in a walkable area at home that has groceries/ restaurants in walking distance.
Key on aging is to fight, fight, fight to keep up ROM, ability to walk, core strength etc. Ability translates into QOL for many, as long as one has finances in order. Can pay to have lots of stuff done outside of ability - when one doesn’t have the ability to drive or even walk very far.
Our financial plan goes up to age 100 for me and 98 for ShawWife – she insists that she won’t be able to cope without me, which is untrue as she is very competent at much of life (all except for investing, insurance, LT planning and electronics).
@SOSConcern, I have hired a PT who moonlights as a personal trainer to come to our house 3 days a week for an hour to work on core strength, balance, etc. We do it without him when we are in California, but it is harder to do it 3 days a week. Probably the best money I can spend as it will keep us moving as we age. Had to look up ROM (I was thinking about integrated circuits and then about the Royal Ontario Museum).
ShawWife is going to get both knees replaced this year – she has no cartilage left.
Sorry about using medical abbrev - Range of Motion.
I have committed to swimming 3X a week - I do breast stroke, 1 mile at a time. I try to get it in early enough in the week so I am not looking at the pool schedule and my calendar. At different times they have a one hour pool group class, and no lane swimming - so I have to refer to the schedule. Sunday I just got my swim done before a thunder storm moved in and closed the pool area.
People that do well with group classes, and can’t handle weight bearing, do pool exercise classes. Anything to improve strength and overall health.
I am feeling arthritic changes (confirmed by bone scan - that was done because as a stage III cancer survivor, had to rule out something worse) and I believe my non-complaining dad had arthritic changes as well. He died young from cancer (at age 63).
Swimming has worked out for me. On other days, walking/hiking/biking/jogging - that is add on when opportunity arises and I am in the mood. I have stiffness and aching, but not continual and at mild stage at this point.
Something most everyone can do is walk - unless with aging/overweight and perhaps knee issues. Some will bike (and if they have balance issues, have the three wheel bike with two wheels in the back).
Good wishes to ShawWife @shawbridge - hopefully no complications and she has excellent results.
Most everyone feels better after doing proper level of exercise. And pushing away from the table is one of the most important exercises. Notice how much our population has gotten overweight/obese/morbidly obese.
Over the last few years, I have committed to working out and find group fitness classes the best fit for me. From strength to cardio and balance. I think it is money well spent. I also walk but have a harder time motivating on my own in the gym - need someone to tell me what to do next.
I think many people drive longer than they should in retirement communities, especially those that are isolated from downtown areas. But not sure that people who can’t drive do much walking to the grocery store. Either they go on the senior bus or get their kids to take them. These days, car sharing services certainly make that easier. And self-driving cars may be what helps us all remain independent longer.
I got 83%, but dispute the correctness of one of their answers. Medicare covers an annual wellness exam which is a visit to discuss overall health. But they do not cover annual physicals.
You are allowed one physical when you first join Medicare. The wellness visits are discussions. Annual physicals are not covered, although doctors can generally fit them in under a different diagnosis.
We have Medicare A &B plus H’s family medical plan for our coverage so it was never apparent to me what Medicare covers specifically because between Medicare and insurance, we have no copay and nothing else has changed about H’s medical care, other than the disappearance of our copays (tho we still have dental copay).
I am unaware of H getting a special welcome to Medicare visit with the MD, but he may have.
My MD says that, “Exercise is the free drug that not enough people are taking.”